Vishal Kamal has been covering video games for 7 years, writing about everything from hardware deals and new releases to esports and the business
side of the industry. He runs TheBadGamer, focused on gaming news worth your time.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream surged to the top of the U.S. gaming charts in April, raking in over $41 million in combined physical and projected digital sales. This success was facilitated by Circana's new sales reporting methodology, which now includes projected digital sales for non-participating publishers like Nintendo. The game's impressive debut also catapulted it to the 9th best-selling game of the year so far.
The Asus ROG NUC 16, packing Intel Arrow Lake HX processors and GeForce RTX 50-series mobile GPU, promises high-performance gaming in a compact form. However, its staggering $4,400 pre-order price in China raises significant questions about its value for money, especially when compared to equally capable but more affordable alternatives like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. For gamers, the NUC's exorbitant cost far outweighs its space-saving benefits.
Until May 23, Steam users can claim the 2018 RPG [Game Name] completely free of charge, a surprising giveaway with no strings attached. This limited-time offer is a rare opportunity for gamers to add a fully featured RPG to their library without cost. Claim it before the deadline to explore [Game Name]'s rich world and gameplay.
Sacred Symbols podcast host Colin Moriarty's PlayStation account was hacked despite having two-factor authentication, highlighting significant security concerns. The incident, resolved quickly due to Moriarty's industry connections, mirrors other cases like Numerama writer Nicolas Lellouche's repeated account breaches. These events underscore the risks of vulnerability in PlayStation's account security, particularly with the shift to digital game libraries.
GrammaCrackers, an 81-year-old Minecraft streamer with over 600,000 YouTube followers, was swatted while raising money for her grandson's cancer treatment. The incident involved 20 police cars, 5 SWAT cars, and drones. Despite the ordeal, GrammaCrackers praised the responding officers for their kindness.
Following Subnautica 2's release, Light No Fire, developed by Hello Games, has become the new most wishlisted game on Steam. Interestingly, Deadlock, a game already out for almost two years with a significant player base, incorrectly remains on the list. This anomaly highlights Valve's unusual handling of Deadlock's status.
Sony has confirmed a PlayStation State of Play event for June 2, promising updates on upcoming games. The 20-minute broadcast will focus on previously announced titles, with no new hardware revelations. Tune in for the latest on anticipated PlayStation exclusives.
Discord has introduced end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for nearly all voice and video calls, a feature long anticipated by its users. This enhancement, made possible by Discord's proprietary DAVE protocol, now secures calls across various platforms, including DMs, group DMs, voice channels, and Go Live streams, with the exception of server stage channels. The move marks a significant commitment to user privacy, especially following recent controversies over data breaches and proposed age verification measures.
Grand Theft Auto 6 briefly appeared as "in stock" on the PlayStation Store via Google listings for an unusually low £0.16, complete with free next-day delivery. This unexpected listing, spotted by users like GTABase, has sparked both amusement and heightened anticipation among fans eagerly awaiting official updates. Despite the intrigue, this is widely regarded as a listing error, potentially leftover from the game's previously planned May 26 launch date.
Discover how playing Fortnite with the Steam Controller unexpectedly evoked the spirit of The Mandalorian and Grogu. This unconventional pairing revealed unique gameplay dynamics, drawing parallels with the show's themes of adaptation and protection. Dive into the intriguing intersection of gaming and pop culture.